Ketchikan, Alaska - Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer made a special
visit to the Tongass National Forest in part to speak on behalf
of the U.S. Forest Service at a special Tribal Reburial Ceremony
in Klawock, on Prince of Wales Island Sept. 26 and 27.

Secretary Schafer,
center, participates in a traditional Native Alaskan dance at
the Reburial Ceremony for Shuká Kaa, "Man Ahead of
Us", whose remains were discovered on NFS lands and repatriated
to Alaskan Native tribes on Prince of Wales Island. Schafer
is joined by Willard Jackson of the Ketchikan Indian Community
(KIC) on the left, and an unidentified young dancer on the right.
Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service

The Tongass is the nation's
largest national forest at almost 17 million acres. It covers
most of southeast Alaska from Yakutat in the north to the islands
south of Ketchikan, and is comprised of large and pristine wilderness
and National Monument areas.

Secretary Schafer was a keynote
speaker for a ceremonial dinner and tribal dance to honor Shukaá
Kaa, or "Man Ahead of Us," whose remains were found
during a paleontological survey at a cave within the Tongass
in 1996. The remains were determined to be 10,000 years old.

"I am deeply honored to
be with you this evening," Schafer said. "This is an
historic and deeply meaningful ceremony and I am privileged to
represent the Forest Service tonight."

Tongass NF archaeologist Terry
Fifield and Tribal Relations Program Manager John Autrey worked
together with tribal governments and leaders on Prince of Wales
to complete the repatriation and reburial of the remains. Their
collaboration was a key factor in the remains being identified
through DNA testing, and their being repatriated in 2007 under
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of
1990.

Secretary Ed Schafer
inspects the wood chip bins of the City of Craig wood-fired boiler
facility. The facility uses woody biomass from a local lumber
mill to produce heat and hot water for three municipal buildings
(two schools and the community swimming pool and recreation center).
With Secretary Schafer are USDA Tribal Relations Program Director
Dawn Charging, and Alaska State Representative Bill Thomas, from
Haines, Alaska.
Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service

Secretary Schafer talks
with Kirk Dahlstrom (far right), owner and operator of Viking
Lumber, in Klawock, about the mill's operation, its production
and the current issues facing the timber industry and the small
communities like Klawock. Viking produces wood products for
high-end interior doors and trim, and employs more than 145 employees
in jobs at or related to the mill, in addition to supporting
numerous other businesses in the area. They are also the source
for the woody biomass that fuels the City of Craig's wood-fired
boiler facility.
Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service

Schafer added that the deep
and abiding respect that the agency has for the tribal governments
and the culture of the recognized tribes in southeast Alaska
is a special relationship that will lead to many more positive
steps in planning and managing both cultural and heritage sites
and the natural resources across the Tongass.

"The Forest Service and
the Tongass National Forest have acted as the stewards for much
of Southeast Alaska for more than 100 years," Schafer continued,
"But tonight we pay tribute to you, the traditional stewards
of these lands and your most ancient ancestor we honor tonight,
Shukaá Kaa. As advanced as our country and society have
become, it has taken a man more than 10,000 years old to bring
true understanding and partnership to the cultural and resource
management here on the Tongass National Forest."

Schafer concluded his remarks
with 'thank you' ('gunalsch-cheessh' in Tlingit), repeated three
times as a sign of deep and heartfelt thanks. His remarks and
his attendance at the ceremony brought a standing ovation from
about 400 tribal and community members who attended the ceremonial
dinner. Schafer was also invited to participate in the tribal
dances later that evening, donning ceremonial and traditional
garb and dancing with one of the native dance groups. The Secretary
also attended the ceremonial Tribal Breakfast in Craig the following
morning.

Schafer also toured the Tongass
National Forest. He began his tour of the Tongass Friday, Sept.
26, flying over to northern Prince of Wales to tour and review
the extensive karst (limestone) structures and cave systems that
are key to the rich vegetation and vibrant rainforest ecosystem
of the northern part of the island. The remains of Shukaá
Kaa were found in a cave in the same area more than a decade
ago.

Tongass Leadership Team members
provided Secretary Schafer with some first-hand understanding
of the majestic natural resources, recreation and tourism features
of the Forest, as well as the complex management issues the agency
faces in the region. The landscape of the Tongass is about 60-percent
forested, with the rest made up of snow-capped rocky mountain
ranges and glaciers. The region is home to a wide variety of
fish and wildlife, making it a haven for sport fishing and hunting,
wildlife viewing, and wilderness exploring.

The Secretary experienced the
challenges of travel and work on the Tongass, taking float planes
from Ketchikan to El Capitan, and then flying along the west
coast of Prince of Wales to Craig. He toured the city of Craig's
centralized wood fired boiler facility, which provides heat and
hot water for three municipal buildings: the local elementary
and middle schools, and the community swimming pool and recreation
facility. Schafer also toured Viking Lumber in Klawock, the source
of the woody biomass that powers the boiler in Craig. Owner and
operator Kirk Dahlstrom explained the mill's operations, and
talked timber with the Secretary during the 90-minute stop.

Following a tribal breakfast
on Saturday, Schafer met with Master Totem Carver Jonathan Rowan,
Jr., and toured the carving shed and clan house in Klawock. He
also visited a remote Forest Service recreation cabin on a small
island 10 miles west of the Craig Ranger District office. The
Tongass has about 150 cabins, mostly in remote locations, including
Wilderness and National Monument areas.

Schafer has made numerous visits
to locations all across Alaska, but this was his first visit
to southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest.